Mets come up short in comeback effort during 7-5 loss to Atlanta Braves

NEW YORK — Here was the opportunity the Mets had been waiting for: One out, two runners on in a game they trailed by three runs, that was begging to be seized.

Of course it was Lucas Duda in this spot. Who else would it be? The guy the Mets have pinned their hopes on at first base for the foreseeable future, with a chance to put a stamp on his identity in Queens on the second day of his new beginning.

Atlanta Braves reliever David Carpenter was laboring through the eighth inning, already allowing one run to cross and trim a four-run lead.

So Carpenter delivered a fastball right in the sweet spot to Duda. A pitch that connected with his bat and rose high and far, bringing what was left of a Bark in the Park night crowd along with it. Would this be it? Would this be Duda’s memorable moment?

"I thought it was a home run," Mets manager Terry Collins said after. "Nothing tells you how tough it is to hit home runs in this ballpark. Obviously, there was some wind blowing in from right field a little bit, but I thought he hit that ball out."

The ball dropped in the glove of Atlanta right fielder, Jason Heyward — just one missed opportunity of many in a 7-5 loss to the Braves Saturday night. There was Duda’s almost-home run. The errant throw by starter Bartolo Colon in the third inning which allowed two runs to score. The decision late in the game by Collins to go with a perennially wild closer, who allowed a three-run home run to Atlanta’s Justin Upton in the top of the ninth inning.

So, when Duda’s ball fell just short and then the Mets mounted a surprise rally in the bottom half of the ninth, it was cause for more head-scratching. Another night where they could see the goal, but couldn’t get their fingertips on it.

"We were fighting," Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. "We didn’t give up until the end. We’re going to do that every game and try to win every game."

He too, had a close call. After the Mets tagged Braves closer Craig Kimbrel with two runs and put five of the seven batters he faced on in the ninth inning, there was a sense that something may happen. In spite of the Upton home run, another sterling night at the plate by Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman (3-for-4, RBI) and a second straight gem from starter Ervin Santana (Seven strikeouts, six hits and one run in seven innings).

But the hard-hit ball with two outs in the ninth off the bat of d’Arnaud was nabbed by shortstop Andrelton Simmons in the hole and his throw just beat the catcher at first to end the game.

Another almost-got-it.

"I thought we were going to win it," Mets starter Bartolo Colon said through interpreter, Melissa Rodriguez. "I thought that whenever Duda went up to bat, that it was going to go out."

It almost was perfect, but wasn’t. Just like the throw Colon tried to make to first base in the third inning, on a weakly-hit ground ball by Freeman. Colon picked it up and threw it past Duda into foul territory, giving Atlanta a quick two runs and putting the Braves on top for good. A lone blemish on an otherwise strong outing: Seven innings, three earned runs six strikeouts and scattering eight hits.

A blemish that was almost erased. Not once, not twice, but multiple times.

Only it never happened.

"We talk about inches," right fielder Curtis Granderson said. "And
you go ahead and click it a little bit more on the barrel and the ball goes extremely far. Those are the things that matter over the course of a game."